


Coming Home

by thearchangelofsass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam and Shiro talk things out, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Reunions, broganes, the garrison is shady af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-14 02:37:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15378864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearchangelofsass/pseuds/thearchangelofsass
Summary: Shiro and team voltron have returned to earth and there’s one person Shiro desperately needs to find. But Adam has moved on from the Garrison and perhaps he’s moved on from Shiro as well. But after surviving the horror of Haggar’s experiments, there’s no way Shiro is leaving the love of his life up to chance.orso I can’t stop crying about Adam and Shiro so here’s a fic where they reunite back on earth and are happy





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> I’m actually haven't stopped smiling at Shiro being confirmed having a boyfriend, so I couldn’t not write this. Enjoy.

            Shiro feels blood rush through his ears and hopes that he’s misheard Pidge.

            “What do you mean he’s not there?” Shiro bites his lip, if only to stop it from trembling.

            “Adam isn’t in the garrison pilot directory or the staff directory,” Pidge repeats. “It’s possible that he may have left.”

            “No way,” Shiro says. But the words feel like a lie as soon as they leave his mouth. He remembers one of the last conversations that they ever had. _How important am I to you, Takashi_? The memory is like ash in his throat as he remembers how desperately Adam wanted him to stay. How Adam said he was looking forward to Christmas together before all hell broke loose on Kereberos. Shiro exhales sharply. “ _If_ Adam left the garrison, is there any way you could find a forwarding address?”

            Pidge cracks her knuckles. “I’ll see what I can do.”

            Shiro feels his heart hammering in his chest with each clack of Pidge’s keys. Adam had always joked that the only reason he flew with the garrison was to see Shiro every day. Had he actually meant it?

            “Aha!” Pidge exclaims, causing Shiro to jump.

            “What is it?”

            “Here,” Pidge turns her screen around, a smug grin on her face. “Records of a severance package for Adam when he left the garrison.” She points to the upper right corner of the document. “Complete with forwarding address.” Shiro can barely acknowledge the address because the date on the document glares at him like a red neon sign. Exactly one month and one year after Kerberos. Exactly when he returned to earth, only to be jetted right back out into space.

            “Adam,” Shiro whispers to no one in particular. He clenches his fist. “I’m so sorry.”

            Pidge feels like she’s intruding on a private moment and hesitates before speaking.

            “It looks like he’s in the outskirts of Las Vegas, which isn’t that far from here. If you and Keith go at night on the hoverbike, you could probably make it there in a couple of hours.”

            Shiro shakes his head. “This is something I have to do alone.” He walks out of the room without another word, and Pidge can only wonder if he’s truly prepared to face his past.  

 

…

 

            “Again, are you sure you’re up for this, Shiro?” Keith asks. “I set up the bike with a route on autopilot to make it easier for you to drive, but if you’re not ready to—”

            “Keith, I’m fine.” Shiro hisses. Keith simply raises an eyebrow.

            “So that’s why you’re still here, ‘fixing up the bike’ at 5 am, when you were supposed to leave hours ago.” Keith can only nod soberly as Shiro hangs his head. He knows his older brother too well.

            “Well honestly, I’m scared, Keith,” Shiro’s voice is deep with sadness. “I left Adam when I promised I would come back. Even if he doesn’t curse me out and tell me to leave, there’s no guarantee that he would even consider getting back together.” Shiro pinches the bridge of his nose and exhales. “I’m not going to stop being a paladin of Voltron. The war for the universe still isn’t over and I’m still going to be doing risky missions far far away from earth.” Shiro feels tears start to well up in his eyes and tries desperately to push them back. “even _if_ we got back together, I could end up hurting Adam more. And I can’t do that to him, Keith. I can’t.” Shiro bites his lip. “That man deserves all the stars in the galaxy. And I can’t promise him that.” Shiro feels a stabbing pain in his chest as a memory comes at him unwillingly, sharp and sudden. Holding Adam’s hand on a launch pad. A kiss goodbye. A whispered promise. Shiro lets himself sob silently as Keith puts a hand on his shoulder.

            “You love him,” Keith says.

            Shiro nods.

            “Then don’t you owe to yourself to try and make this work?”

            Shiro has to take pause.

            “I get that you’re worried about all this bad stuff happening and I get that you don’t want to hurt Adam,” Keith continues. “But if you don’t try, you’ll never know what could have been. Then you’ll definitely lose him! That’s not what you want.” Shiro shakes his head. “And I know that’s not what he’d want.”

            There’s absolutely no way Keith could know what Adam wants, but Shiro lets his brother’s words fill him with courage nonetheless.

            “Since when did you become such a relationship guru?” Shiro laughs at his own joke.

            “I’m better at giving advice than taking it.” Keith replies. “Now what are you waiting for! You’ll be lucky if you get there before sunrise at this point.”

            “Alright, alright.” Shiro ruffles Keith’s hair and Keith grins. Shiro gets on the hoverbike and gives Keith a quick wave before racing down the dirt road towards the interstate.

            “And don’t you dare scratch my bike!” Keith yells after him, but the jab is halfhearted at best. Keith hopes things go well for Shiro and Adam, if only because his brother has been through so much recently, and deserves a spot of happiness. As Keith watches Shiro disappear into the night, he wonders if it’d be worth it to ask Lance to watch the sunrise together.

 

…

 

            Adam’s house is a fairly large, single-story with a distinct Mediterranean theme. _Land must be a lot cheaper out here_ , Shiro thinks as he looks around at the five other houses arranged in a vague cul-de-sac shape near Adam’s. They’re the only other buildings for miles and miles and only a cracking, single-lane, asphalt road actually leads to the city of Las Vegas. It’s strangely peaceful, with the first rays of sun peaking over the desert horizon, the silhouettes of cacti and rock formations framing the houses. In a way, it reminds Shiro of early mornings waking up at the garrison, which is another pang in his chest. He suddenly remembers his purpose, the reason he came all the way out here in the first place.

               He forces his feet to move up the steps of Adam’s porch. Shiro double checks the house number and yes it’s still correct. He forces himself to take a deep breath before finally biting the bullet and pressing the doorbell. The ringing is an assault on Shiro’s ears, killing the silence of morning. There’s a wave of anxiety as he wonders if he’s made a mistake. And then he hears footsteps approaching the door, and an unmistakable voice.

            “Maisy, if this is about your damn cat again, she is _not_ in my yard and I do _—_ ” Adam freezes after opening the door. A flurry of emotions swirls through his eyes as he tries to process the man before him. The man who all too closely resembles his flight partner from his garrison days.

            “Hi, Adam,” Shiro says. He puts his hand on the back of his neck. They stand in silence for moment and Shiro drinks in Adam, his eyes roaming over every inch, every centimeter, as if trying to take in all the moments that he’s missed. _He has new glasses_ , Shiro notices, _and they’re really cute too_. He struggles to find the words to end the quiet and, lucky for him, Adam beats him to the punch.

            “Is this some kind of joke?” Adam’s face is cold, and Shiro feels his heart beginning to break again. “Who put you up to this? The garrison?” Tears begin to well up in Adam’s eyes and Shiro reaches out a hand. Adam flinches and it hurts more than any battle wound Shiro’s ever experienced. “Don’t _fucking_ touch me.” Shiro feels his throat constricting and his tears returning. “You think I owe you something just because you look like my dead boyfriend?” Shiro feels a guilty pang as his worst fear is confirmed: Adam thinks he’s dead.

            “Adam it’s really me,” Shiro says. “Takashi.” Adam’s eyes blaze with fury and he shoves Shiro hard against the doorframe before pinning Shiro there with his arm.

            “Give me _one_ good reason I shouldn’t call the cops right this second,” Adam says between shuddering breaths.

            “Your grandmother Esmerelda gave you a space encyclopedia when you were seven and that’s why you wanted to join the Garrison.” Shiro is crying too now that he sees how much hurt is in Adam’s eyes. How much pain he’s inflicted. “You think chocolate chip pancakes are too sweet but you love blueberry ones and we would make them together every Sunday. Your alarm in the morning is Mr. Brightside. You always use that Neutrogena shaving cream that smells so good.” Shiro feels his breath hitch as hundreds of unbidden memories and moments threaten to spring from his lips. “Our first kiss was when we went star gazing on the roof after a rough training day. I knocked my nose against your glasses but we just laughed and kept on kissing.” Shiro feels Adam’s grip start to loosen. “You proposed to me on that same roof and I promised you all the stars in the sky. You’re the first person I said “I love you” to and you’re the only person who calls me Takashi.”

            Adam lets go of Shiro and his eyes glass over. He wordlessly looks Shiro up and down before tentatively reaching out a hand to Shiro’s cheek. Adam jumps at the contact, as if he’s surprised that Shiro is real.

            “Takashi?” It’s a question, a whisper, and a hope all at once.

            “It’s really me, Adam,” Shiro says, blinking away tears. He slowly brings his hand up to meet Adam’s and Adam intertwines their fingers. For the first time in months, Shiro feels like he can breathe again.

            “Your hair,” Adam murmurs.

            “Do you like it?” Shiro asks. Truthfully, he wants to dye it all black again the second he finds a Walgreens, but Adam’s look of wonderment is giving him second thoughts.

            “It’s like starlight.” Adam sucks in a breath sharply. “Your arm!” Shiro’s honestly not that sad about losing his Galra prosthetic, but he understands how shocking the visual is for Adam.

            “Yeah I kinda lost it a fight,” Shiro says, realizing that he’ll have to explain the whole clone situation to Adam. “and since the Castle of Lions is gone, Pidge and Allura haven’t been able to set me up with a new Altean prosthetic.”

            “The who and what?” Adam tilts his head to one side with absolute confusion and Shiro lets a genuine smile creep up his face. For a moment he can pretend he’s just told a weird joke that Adam doesn’t get, and that they’re in their kitchen in the barracks, and that the pancakes are cooking on the griddle. But the reality is that there’s a long and painful explanation ahead, and Adam may not take it well.

            “It’s kind of a long story.” Shiro says.

            “I’ve got all the time in the world.” Adam replies, and Shiro allows a little ember of hope to creep back into his chest.

 

…

 

            “You died?” Adam’s voice is a broken disbelief. After hours of sitting on his living room couch, hearing Shiro talk about his intergalactic trials and triumphs, Adam finally loses his grip on reality during Shiro’s explanation of Kuron and the events that followed.

            “Technically, yes,” Shiro says. “But my soul remained in the black lion and Allura used her Altean powers to put my soul back into the body of my evil clone.” Adam’s eyes glaze over again and Shiro sighs. “I’m well aware of how crazy it all sounds.”

            Adam shakes his head. “I might not have believed you if you didn’t bring that thing.” He gestures to the black bayard, currently lying on his coffee table.

            “You can thank Keith for that,” Shiro replies. It had been Keith’s idea for Shiro to bring his bayard, in case Adam wouldn’t take Shiro’s word alone for the existence of voltron. As soon as Shiro had engaged the bayard, it had transformed from a metal hand grip to a double edged Altean fighting staff, and Adam’s jaw had dropped. From that point on, he had hardly questioned anything about Shiro’s story.

            “That’s…” Adam can’t quite start his sentence. “That’s a lot, Takashi. I’m sorry you had to go through so much.”

            “Don’t apologize,” Shiro urges. “I’m sure things haven’t been easy for you either.”

            “Damn right they haven’t!” Adam snaps. His face immediately softens in apology as the words leave his mouth. “I’m sorry, I just…” Adam trails off as he starts to cry again and Shiro scoots over on the couch so he can cover Adam’s hand with his own.

            “I’m here,” Shiro affirms. He squeezes Adam’s hand. “I’m here.”

            “When the news first broke about Kerberos, I immediately suspected the Garrison.” Adam’s voice is hard. “The whole ‘pilot error’ story didn’t make any sense to me. There was no evidence of a crash on Kerberos. Katie Holt broke in more than a few times to try and find the truth.”

            Shiro can’t help but smile slightly at that. _Go Pidge_.

            “Iverson always dismissed what Katie kept saying about a cover up, but the probe footage was _right there_. When I tried to speak up, I was told to keep my mouth shut.” Adam sniffles. “Keith was the only person who believed me, but he pushed Iverson too far and got kicked out.” Adam’s lips twitch up slightly. “Iverson was on crutches for weeks though.”

            Shiro’s eyebrows shoot straight up. “Really?” That’s something he will _definitely_ be asking his little brother about later.

            “Yep,” Adam replies. “After Keith left, I stayed at the Garrison because I thought it was my best shot at finding out more information. I stuck around for about a year before I started thinking maybe I just have to accept it.” Adam chokes out a sob. “I have to accept that Takashi is dead and that I’m seeing conspiracies where there are none.”

            Shiro rubs his thumb in comforting circles on Adam’s hand.   

            “But then one night, this weird looking space ship crashed out in the desert,” Adam continues. “Iverson sent practically all of the staff to check it out, but insisted that I stay behind for the lock down of the buildings. I thought that was suspicious, so I hid under one of the supply jeeps he sent out.”

            “I can’t believe you did that,” Shiro breathes.

            “I jumped ship about a mile out from the crash to try and get a look from a distance, but all I could see was this big white tent thing. So I did some scanning for wireless signals, to see if the Garrison had maybe set up a camera in there.”

            Shiro can’t help but feel a weird sense of déjà vu to when Pidge was telling him about how the gang had rescued him from his earth crash site. They were probably yards apart as these simultaneous stories were taking place.

            “I saw maybe thirty seconds of footage, but it was someone who looked like you with a white tuft of hair and a weird new arm.” Adam sighs. “I guess now I know that was actually you, but I thought I might have been hallucinating. Just seeing what I wanted to see.” Adam chews his lip. “I just wanted to believe you would magically come back home for so long, it was hard to believe it could actually be true.”

            Shiro wants nothing more than to hug Adam close to his chest, to hold him until all that past hurt and worry has seeped away into nothingness. But Shiro knows that kind of pain doesn’t just go away, and he also knows Adam still isn’t completely comfortable around him yet. Adam seems to be fine with hand holding for now, but Shiro doesn’t want to initiate any further physical contact until he’s one hundred percent sure that Adam is okay with it. He squeezes Adam’s hand reassuringly again, unable to think of the right words to say.

            “But before I could really see enough footage to decide whether you were real or not, some scrub from the Garrison grabbed me and delivered me straight to Iverson.”

            “Was it Miller?’ Shiro asks.

            Adam nods.

            “What a snitch.” They both laugh at Shiro’s comment, in spite of themselves. The weight of their conversation leaves them for a moment and the golden sunlight pouring through the windows fills them up just a little bit more.

            “Anyway, Iverson chewed me out. Told me I was a disgrace for disobeying orders and endangering the students.” Adam shakes his head as he remembers the conversation. “He basically said in no uncertain terms that I shouldn’t breathe a word about what I’d seen, and that one way or another, the Garrison would ensure my silence.”

            Shiro bristles at the ghost of Iverson’s words. No one should get away with threatening Adam like that.

            “I considered putting up a fight,” Adam says. “But Iverson said part of the severance package would be a guarantee to getting a place out here and –” Adam’s voice breaks. “I couldn’t stand living in the barracks anymore. Everything reminded me of you, and I kept expecting you to be there when I woke up, or to be sitting in the dining hall with coffee during your break between Block 3 and Block 4.” Each one of Adam’s sobs is a knife in Shiro’s heart. “After seeing what I thought was a hallucination of you on the footage, I realized I needed to get out of the Garrison. So I came to Vegas, of all places. Middle of nowhere. Nobody knew who I was. I felt like I could start over, maybe put the pieces of my life back together.”

            Shiro’s heart can’t take it anymore. “Adam I—”

           “How could you do that to me, Takashi?” Adam wails. “I know you were captured by the Galra and everything, but I wanted you to stay! I told you to stay.” Adam hiccups out another sob. “I told you to stay.” He repeats. “And now this is what’s happened.”

           “Adam,” Shiro starts. “I never wanted to hurt you. Believe me, if I could reverse all of your pain and heartache, I would. And if you want me to go, I’ll go.” Adam’s other hand immediately latches onto Shiro’s wrist. The message is clear: Shiro’s not going anywhere. “At the same time, if I hadn’t gotten captured, maybe Lance wouldn’t have ever found the blue lion. And we wouldn’t have known about the Galra until they were here, plundering and colonizing earth. Allura and Coran would still be asleep. Hundreds of planets would still be enslaved.”

           “Takashi I get that you’re a ‘paladin’ now and somehow that means the fate of the universe is your responsibility, but what about me? Aren’t I important to you too?” Adam’s words make Shiro physically recoil and their hands separate as they both recall a similar conversation from before all of this.

           “I still have it.” Shiro’s voice is barely more than a whisper. “The ring that you gave me.”

           “What?” Adam’s heart skips a beat.

           “It was one of the only things I managed to keep while I was held captive.” Shiro continues. “I looked at it and thought about you every single day that I was in that prison, just to hold on to a reason to keep going.” Shiro reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring, the simple silver band cool between his fingers. “I kissed it every time before I had to fight in the arena, because I thought it would give me good luck.” He smiles ruefully. “I guess it did.”

           Wordlessly, Adam pulls a chain out from under his shirt. Shiro had thought it was a necklace, but he now sees that at the end of chain is a golden ring, the twin to the one currently in his hand.

           “I tried so hard to forget you,” Adam says softly. “But I couldn’t bring myself to throw this away. To throw those memories away.”

           “I’m glad you didn’t,” Shiro says warmly. Adam offers a quick smile.

           “So does this mean you’re back, then?” Adam asks. He pushes his glasses up so he can rub his eyes.

           “Not quite,” Shiro admits. Adam stiffens. “Once we get a version of the Castle of Lions back up and running, we’ll have to get back out there. Just because Lotor’s gone doesn’t mean the warring Galra are. And Haggar still needs to face justice.”

           “Fine then,” Adam snaps. “I’m coming with you.”

           “No!” Shiro exclaims. “You need to stay here, on earth. Where the Galra can’t find you.”

           “So you can just leave me again?” Adam yells back. “You just said you don’t want to hurt me Takashi! Then why are you doing this?”

           “So many people have been hurt by this war!” Shiro fires back. “Can you blame me for wanting to keep you out of this? For wanting to protect the person I love the most?” Shiro realizes the weight of his words as soon as they leave his mouth. At once he regrets them as Adam stands frozen, unspeaking. _I came on too strong,_ Shiro thinks, _I’ve lost him_.

           “You still love me.” Adam’s words are more a question than a statement.

           “I never stopped loving you,” Shiro assures him. On impulse he retakes Adam’s hand in his own and intertwines their fingers. “Adam, I know I’ve put you through hell and back over these last few years. I know so much has changed. I know things will never be exactly the same as they were before and I know I can’t expect us to pick up right where we left off.” Shiro swallows hard. “But I still want to try. I still want sleepy Sunday mornings and bad movie nights and lazy afternoons with you. I still can’t imagine the rest of my life without waking up next to you every day.”

           Adam’s breath hitches.

           “If you don’t feel ready or don’t want to try a relationship again, I understand,” Shiro says, his voice stiff. “I’m a paladin now and I know how that affects you. If being together would hurt you more, that’s the last thing I want.” Shiro sighs. “But I hope you’ll consider letting me back into your life, even if it’s just a little bit at a time.” Adam shakes his head and Shiro feels his stomach drop.

           “You idiot,” Adam whispers. “I never stopped loving you either.”

           “Really?” Shiro can’t help the massive grin that breaks out across his face.

           “Really.” Adam says. “You’re right. It won’t be easy. We both have trauma to sort through. There’s part of me that’s still finding it very, _very_ hard to forgive you, I won’t lie.”

           “I understand.” Shiro murmurs.

           “But I want to try too,” Adam says. “I want to be with you, to understand the new parts of you. You’re still my Takashi. And you’re still worth conquering the universe for.”

           Shiro starts crying again, but this time they’re tears of joy, not sadness.

           “That’s more than I could have ever asked for,” Shiro breathes. Adam meets his gaze for a moment before looking quickly down at his lips. And suddenly they’re both leaning towards eachother, drawn together as if by electromagnetism.

           “Takashi?” Adam’s breath is warm on Shiro’s face as they draw closer together. “Can I kiss you?”

           Shiro nods, his heart beating in his throat as Adam slowly brings a hand up to the nape of his neck. Then Adam finally closes the gap between them, pressing his mouth against Shiro’s. Adam’s mouth is pliant and soft as Shiro kisses back, sweet and gentle. The kiss is short and fairly chaste, but when they break apart, Shiro knows that it is a promise of things to come. The whole universe is lightness around them and little by little, he’s going to share it all with Adam again.

**Author's Note:**

> Scream with me on tumblr @yaolinqs


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